We left the Florida Keys in the afternoon and drove to our next destination... South Beach! We were using an AirBnB apartment for our stay, and considering it still wasn't ready by the time we made it to Miami we stopped in Little Havana for lunch and sight-seeing. It certainly delivered!
We ate at Exquisito Restaurant, which had the most delicious plantain chips (they were like plantain ribbons!).
After a tasty lunch, we just walked around the main strip - watching the domino players at the park, admiring all the beautiful graffiti... we even stopped at a little boutique to get Richard a "Cuban-style" button down, but couldn't find just the right one. ;)
While taking a butt-load of pictures and obviously looking like tourists, we were "roped" into a little shop that hand-rolls cigars and sells traditional Cuban coffee. Richard bought a few cigars, of course! And for someone who doesn't like coffee at all (tea all the way), I have to admit that the sample I tried was reeeally good.
Once we were alerted our place was clean & ready, we made our way down to South Beach! I'm delighted to inform you that our place was a very, very cute little dump two blocks from the beach. We had to go outside to a shady-looking alley to do laundry and the light in our bathroom had to be held up with duct-tape to stay on. It was amazing. (And how could I ever feel anything but completely safe with a big bearded & tattooed husband by my side the entire time. ;))
Gettin' settled! ;P After we relaxed a little from our drive and got some provisions, we walked around the main strips and stopped at a bar for drinks. The whole trip put me in a dreamy Art Deco coma, so there will be no shortage of architectural shots in this post!
The next day, we rented an adorable little scooter to make puttering around South Beach a little easier (driving/parking is not pleasant with all the crowds!!). I'm not going to lie, I was in pure heaven sitting behind my gorgeous husband looking at all the beautiful architecture and supreme people watching. It was just so dreamy. :)
The beach in South Beach. Warning: the following pictures required zero editing and are almost too beautiful for words...
(Told ya! ;))
When our tummies were rumbling enough, we stopped at the EPIC Big Pink diner. I'm not even sure where I heard of this place (TV? Trip Advisor? A magical dream?) but I'm SO HAPPY I did. This place is ridiculous. Prices are a little high, but when you get the food you see why... the portions are GINORMOUS.
My mushroom burger had FIVE portobellos on it. We saw salads and wraps the size of small children. The cheesecake slices were as tall as your hands AND had a cupcake garnish. This is the epitome of capitalistic indulgence and was delicious. We'll definitely be back. ;)
Following lunch, we rolled ourselves back to our little apartment to chill, nap and get ready for the evening. For me, this meant laying in bed with a steady supply of pina coladas while I caught up on real-estate paperwork. ;P Then, we were out again!
We had dinner and a show at the UNBELIEVABLE Palace Bar. The food was extremely sub-par, but the girls... I can die in peace. There are no words. Just... amazing.
Our beautiful MC...
... that stuffed my husband's head in her crotch after R gave her dollar bills out of his mouth. (While in South Beach!)
He was very proud of himself. ;P
Our table was right at the end of the catwalk, so during a performance I was asked to dance in front of everyone with this beauty. Yes, please! (Who am I kidding, my husband feeding drag queens dollars with his teeth is what most likely really encouraged my participation.)
And then there was this girl. Oh my goodness. RIP me. She was unbelievable. See video here. (Not for the faint of heart, and truly NSFW! And yes, that is me spanking her. #noregrets)
After we got our fill, we walked around some more and went into a few shops for treats. Drag queens followed by Art Deco? Kylie's in heaven. *heart eyes*
We were so wound up when we got back to our apartment, we went back out for a little more scooterin'! Just up and down the streets, people watching and being insufferable. ;) We ended up at Insomnia Cookies for a late-night treat, which was was another big win in a day full of wins. ;)
You see how we're parked? This is why having a scooter is useful. ;)
The next day we packed up, returned our beloved scooter, and stopped at Under the Mango Tree for acai bowls and fresh juices before heading to Orlando. Gotta balance all that vacation gluttony! ;)
Bottom line: We're totally coming back to South Beach again. ;D Last but not least... Disney World!
